The present invention relates generally to an inflation apparatus and, more specifically, to an apparatus for inflating novelty balloons and a balloon sealing plug for use therewith.
Balloons are popular novelty items, often used for celebrating special events and for decorating purposes. Balloons typically are formed from a rubber or rubber-like substance, such as latex, or may be made from a non-rubbery material such as Mylar. The balloons typically include an inflatable body and a neck which terminates in an inflation opening. An inflation gas, such as air or helium, is introduced through the inflation opening until the body of the balloon is inflated to a desired level.
A user may inflate a balloon manually by blowing air through the inflation opening using their mouth. A variety of pumps are also available to assist users in inflating balloons with air. These pumps typically blow air out through an opening which is adapted to mate with the inflation opening on the balloon. However, to inflate a balloon with helium, a lighter than air gas that causes the balloon to float, some type of inflation apparatus must be used. Helium typically is supplied in pressurized tanks. The inflation apparatus routes the helium from the tank into a balloon to be inflated. A variety of such inflation devices have been developed. The simplest helium inflation devices include a flow control valve and an inflation nozzle with a tapered tip. Often, this inflation apparatus is relatively small and mounts directly to the top of the helium tank. The inflation opening of a balloon is placed over the nozzle and is held in place by the user. The user then opens the flow control valve to allow helium to flow through the nozzle and into the balloon. Once the balloon is sufficiently inflated, the user turns the control valve back off. A somewhat simpler to use helium inflation device integrates the inflation nozzle and the control valve. In this system, the control is opened by either flexing or pushing down on the nozzle. Therefore, the user merely places the balloon neck onto the inflation nozzle and bends or pushes the nozzle to begin the flow of gas. Once the balloon is sufficiently inflated, the user lets up on the nozzle to stop the flow of gas. Another helium inflation device includes a flow control valve with a built-in timer. The user pushes a button or turns a dial to start the flow of gas. The gas then shuts off after a predetermined time limit. This allows repeated inflation of balloons to approximately the same size.
After a balloon is inflated, with either air or helium, the neck of the balloon must be sealed to prevent the escape of gas. With balloons formed of an elastic material, the traditional approach has been to stretch the neck of the balloon and tie a knot. The approach is effective and sufficient when only one or a few balloons are being inflated. However, for many applications, such as the assembly of balloon bouquets or decorations, a large number of balloons must be inflated and sealed. Some entertainers use balloons as part of their act and inflate and seal many balloons. In light of this, there has been a need for improved methods of sealing the necks of balloons. One approach has been to provide a clip or sealing device which assists in the sealing of the neck. One example is a simple plastic disc sold under the trademark E-Z BALLOON DISC(trademark). This device is a flat plastic disc with slots cut into the disc at various positions around its perimeter. To seal the neck of a balloon, the neck is inserted into one of the slots in the disc and then stretched so as to pass through one or more additional slots. The stretching of the neck and the convoluted route it is forced to take seals the balloon. While an improvement over simple hand tying, this device still requires manual manipulation of the balloon neck and may lead to tired or sore fingers. Another available clip device is generally funnel shaped with a slot cut into the edge of the funnel to accept the neck of a balloon. The funnel shape allows the clip device to conform to the shape of the lower side of the balloon. That is, the balloon body extends out of the top of the funnel while the pinched off neck extends downwardly near the base of the funnel. A ribbon is wrapped about the base of the funnel and may be unwrapped to provide an attachment to the balloon.
Clips are also available which have a pair of opposing jaws which interlock about the neck of a balloon to seal the neck. These clips typically require a machine or device designed to press the jaws together so that they may interlock. Yet another balloon sealing device is sold under the name Snappi Seal from the West Winds Company. This device wraps a small piece of tape about the neck of a balloon when the neck is pulled through an opening in the device. A user first fills the balloon, then twists the neck and stretches it. If desired, a piece of ribbon may be held next to the twisted neck. The neck is then pulled down into a slot in the machine which wraps a small piece of tape around the neck. The user is instructed to rub their fingers over the tape to secure the seal after removing the balloon from the machine.
As an improvement on the various clip-like sealing devices just discussed, a variety of balloon valves have been developed. These valves typically consist of a one-way check valve which is assembled into the neck of a balloon. Then, gas may be introduced through the valve into the balloon. However, the one-way check valve prevents the flow of gas back out through the valve. An example of one such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,203 to Murray. This valve assembly includes a tube through which gas may be introduced and a flexible valve flap which overlies one end of the tube. When gas is introduced into the tube, the valve is forced out of the way by the flow of gas. However, once the flow of gas through the tube into the balloon ceases, the flap falls back into position over the end of the tube preventing gas from flowing out of the balloon. A slightly different device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,204 to Zeyra. This device also includes a flow passage designed for the introduction of a flow of gas into a balloon and a flap member which overlies the end of the tube. However, in this case the flap is more rigidly secured over the tube. To allow the flow of gas, an inflation member must be inserted into the tube far enough to press against the underside of the flap. This inflation member slightly lifts the flap allowing gas to flow around its perimeter. Once the inflation member is retracted, gas no longer flows in either direction. One-way check valve type valve assemblies for use with balloons generally suffer from the drawback that they are complicated and expensive to manufacture. For example, to provide a reliable seal, the check valve must be manufactured to reasonably tight tolerances.
All of the inflation devices and valves so far discussed do not address the need for an inflation device which provides for rapid and convenient inflation of multiple balloons without needless manual manipulation. A variety of more complicated inflation devices have been developed in an attempt to address this need. For example, one design was sold under the name Auto Flate, which was designed by LEJ Designs of Laurens, S.C. and was sold by the Wayside Gallery in the same city. This design automatically injected a substance called HI-FLOAT(copyright) into a balloon, spread the HI-FLOAT(copyright) around, and then inflated the balloon. HI-FLOAT(copyright) is a substance that may be injected into a balloon prior to inflation. It helps to seal the balloon so as to avoid leakage of helium through the balloon material. HI-FLOAT(copyright) is the subject of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,634,395 and 5,244,429. The Auto Flate machine required an operator to first clamp the neck of a balloon in a specially designed clamp. The machine then injected HI-FLOAT(copyright) and inflated the balloon. Afterwards, the neck of the balloon was tied off to seal the balloon. The machine provided a crochet-hook-like device to assist in the tying of a balloon neck or the tying of a ribbon around the neck of a balloon. This device was laborious to use and did not significantly improve the process of inflating and tying off multiple balloons. A variety of other balloon inflation devices have also been developed. However, they all fall short of providing the desired convenient and rapid inflation of multiple balloons, while avoiding the laborious process of tying the balloons or mechanically sealing the balloons.
A balloon inflation apparatus is designed to inflate balloons that have a neck and a body. A balloon plug is designed for use with the inflation apparatus and is designed to seal the neck of the balloon. The balloon plug has a resilient body with an outer perimeter to engage the inside of the neck of the balloon and a pierceable central portion. The inflation apparatus includes a support frame and an inflation station supported by the support frame. The inflation station includes a plug connector to retain the balloon plug with a balloon engagement plug. The station also includes an inflation needle which has a retracted position and an inflation position. The needle extends through the central portion of the balloon plug retained by the plug connector when the needle is in the inflation position. The needle does not extend through the central portion of the balloon plug when the needle is in the retracted position. The inflation station also includes an actuator operable to move the needle between the retracted and inflation positions. The balloon inflation apparatus includes a pressurized gas supply to provide gas to the needle. The apparatus may be operated to actuate the actuator so the needle moves from the retracted position to the inflation position. The central portion of the plug retained by the plug connector is then pierced. The apparatus is also operable to supply gas to the needle when the needle is in the inflation position so that a balloon engaged with the pierced plug is inflated.